1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to an imaging module and an endoscope apparatus, the imaging module being provided at a distal end of an insertion unit of an endoscope that is configured to be inserted into a subject to image the inside of the subject.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, endoscope apparatuses have been widely used for various examinations in the medical field and industrial field. Medical endoscope apparatuses from among the above can obtain an in-vivo image in a body cavity by inserting an elongated flexible insertion unit, in which an image sensor is provided at the distal end, in the body cavity of the subject such as a patient without incising the subject. In addition, the medical endoscope apparatuses can treat the subject by projecting a treatment tool from the insertion unit distal end as necessary. Therefore, the medical endoscope apparatuses have been widely used.
An imaging unit is fit into the insertion unit distal end of this endoscope apparatus, and a signal cable is soldered to an FPC board of the imaging unit. The imaging unit includes an image sensor and a flexible printed board (referred to as an FPC board below) such as a tape automated bonding (TAB) on which electronic components such as a capacitor and an IC chip included in a drive circuit of the image sensor are mounted.
The imaging unit can be easily become larger by the increase in the number of mounting electronic components and signal cables according to the increase in the number of the pixels in the image sensor. In contrast, a technique has been proposed in which an FPC board is bent to realize a small-sized imaging unit (for example, refer to JP 2000-210252 A and JP 2010-268077 A).